Job Description

If you are motivated and believe in the credit union philosophy of "People Helping People," join our team!

The SVP – Litigation will lead SECU’s litigation function, overseeing all litigation and dispute-related matters across the enterprise. The role combines people leadership, strategic program development and sophisticated litigation management. Reporting to the EVP - Deputy Chief Legal Officer, the SVP – Litigation will manage a team of attorneys and legal support professionals while partnering closely with business leadership and second line functions to mature industry-leading litigation management practices.

• 35% Litigation leadership and strategy
  • Lead all litigation strategy and execution across SECU’s litigation portfolio, including consumer finance and member disputes, complex litigation and class actions, bankruptcy matters, arbitration programs and general liability matters, employment litigation, commercial and vendor dispute
  • Oversee hundreds of active matters annually through a combination of direct handling and outside counsel management
  • Provide practical, risk-based legal advice to senior business leaders
  • Serve as trusted internal client partner with strong executive presence and relationship management skills
• 35% Team leadership and development
  • Directly lead and develop a team of two attorneys and two legal support professionals
  • Foster a culture of mentorship, professional growth and collaboration
• 20% Function modernization and operational excellence
  • In partnership with Legal Operations leadership, mature the litigation management function by:
    • Building enhanced litigation tracking and reporting systems
    • Implementing best-in-class outside counsel management
    • Developing litigation KPIs, dashboards, and performance analytics
    • Driving disciplined litigation spend management
    • Standardizing early case assessment processes
    • Advancing discovery governance and legal hold management programs
    • Establishing scalable workflows
• 10% Governance and enterprise partnership
  • Partner closely with second line and business unit leaders on dispute prevention and risk mitigation
  • Prepare litigation reporting for executive leadership and board-level oversight
  • Support the enterprise in aligning with regulator and supervisory expectations

Required Education & Experience (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities):

• Juris doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
• Licensed to practice in North Carolina
• 8 years of litigation experience
• Demonstrated experience leading or supervising legal teams or significant litigation programs
• Strong litigation judgment and strategic case management skills
• Proven ability to manage outside counsel effectively
• Excellent communication, client counseling and leadership presence

Preferred Education & Experience (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities):

• In-house legal experience
• Financial services or consumer finance litigation experience
• Employment litigation experience
• Experience building or improving legal department processes or programs
• Experience operating in highly regulated environments

Job Environment & Physical Requirements:

• Primarily onsite with flexibility for occasional remote work

SECU provides equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other classification protected by law.

Disclaimer

State Employees' Credit Union reserves the right to fill this role at a higher/lower level based on business need.